I'm going to be looking at an ES-130 in a couple days. I spoke on the phone with the guy who's selling it and to first appearances he seems to be honest and believable. He says the guitar is MIJ but has no serial # on it because it was made during a lawsuit period. He bought the guitar from a friend in 2008 and figures the guitar dates to 2005-2006.

So, my question for the Tokai experts is...does any of this ring true or accurate? I've done lots of online reading since talking to the guy but I can't find out what I really need to know. It seems to me it's probably not a Canadian Fakai because apparently they didn't make that model and they have MIK on the back of the headstock. Do ALL MIJ Tokais have a serial #?

When I finally see the guitar I'll be looking for the orange sticker in the bass 'F' hole and the MIJ stamp on the back of the headstock. What else should I be looking for to help me identify this ES-130 as a real MIJ guitar?

Thanks for the help! I had already assumed the guy was a bit clueless, which, as you rightfully point out, doesn't mean the guitar isn't what he says it is.

He hasn't posted pics with his online ad but as I say I'll be seeing the guitar in a couple of days so I hope everything pans out because I think, if it's a real MIJ ES-130 the price is pretty reasonable from what I'm seeing from online searches.

Oh, also he says the guitar is blue but I have not turned up any pics of blue ES-130's.....(blue is my least fave guitar colour but I work for a guy refinishing and aging vintage (as well as modern) guitars so I can always re-paint it if I wind up buying it.

My understanding is that the Canadian fake Tokais all said Made In Korea on the back of the headstock. I read part of an interview with a Japanese rep of the Tokai Gakki factory who said that the Canadian company had made some LS guitars before they shut down that production but he didn't mention any other styles like the ES line.

I realize there are other fakes out there as well though. Are their fakes that go to the extent of having the MIJ stamp on them as well as the orange sticker inside the 'F' hole?

Well i haven't been keeping up with the various fakes i must say, The MIJ Tokai's are very easy to tell from others. If you know what you are looking for. Never seen a fake with a MIJ stamp. Never seen a real Blue one though either.
Tons of fakes out there, a dude from "music express canada" was behind the last flood of fakes. I'm not sure why Tokai's are faked here as almost noone has heard of them.

Okay, I just looked at the online ad again and he's added pics....definintely NOT a MIJ. So, I'll save myself the trouble of looking at it I guess.

Can anyone identify where this guitar was probably made?

Also, some of the text that he's used in the ad was lifted directly from a Reverb.com ad which I discovered during my searching for info....he's modified it a bit. Originally his ad said it was Made In Japan....he's taken that out now but that's what he told me over the phone.

Okay, I just looked at the online ad again and he's added pics....definintely NOT a MIJ. So, I'll save myself the trouble of looking at it I guess.
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Ouch. Classic Korean-made fake.

Try to direct the seller to this thread, he may simply be unaware of the situation. If he won't listen, report the listing. The price he's asking is probably reasonable for an ES130 but for that guitar it's about 4 or 5 times too much.